June 21, 2023
Listener Questions P.3❓
In this special episode, we focus on the questions that listeners have submitted. We learn about ice cubes and why they can be white or clear. We also learn how squids go to the bathroom and how pearls are made. Lastly, we talk about different kinds of chocolate and why brushing our teeth is important.
Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark
❤️👂🔬
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About Sleep Tight Science
Sleep Tight Science is an engaging bedtime show for the whole family that answers the questions kids have about science. Each episode explores a fascinating topic in science and technology, from the mysteries of outer space to the wonders of the human body. Sleep Tight Science is the perfect bedtime companion for curious minds of all ages. Have an interesting science topic you would like featured? Send us an email at hello@sleeptightscience.com and we may feature it in an upcoming show.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker 1: You're listening to sleep Tight Science. Did you know that popcorn pops because of a special kind of corn kernel? What? Inside each kernel, a small amount of water is trapped in a circle of soft starch. When you heat the kernel, the water becomes steam and builds pressure. Eventually, the pressure becomes too much, causing the kernel to explode and turn into yummy, fluffy popcorn. Hello, friends, and welcome back to sleep Tight Science, a bedtime show that answers your questions about science. In this episode, instead of following a specific topic, we will spend all our time together answering questions that listeners have sent us. There have been so many questions that we decided to create some special episodes to answer them. Now, let's start with a question submitted to us by Zuri, who is six years old. Zuri wants to know why ice cubes are both white and clear. Water is made up of teeny tiny particles called molecules. These molecules like to stick together and form something we call ice when they get really cold. When water freezes and turns into ice, it can sometimes trap tiny bubbles of air or even some impurities from the water. These things can make the ice look white. Or cloudy. It's a little bit like when you mix bubbles in your bath water and it becomes foamy. But not all ice cubes are white or cloudy. Some ice cubes can be clear as glass. This happens when the water freezes really quickly and doesn't have enough time to trap those little air bubbles or impurities. When the freezing process is super speedy, the water molecules arrange themselves in a very organized and neat way. This orderly arrangement allows light to pass through the ice without getting scattered, which is why ice cubes let you see through them. So when you see white or cloudy ice cubes, it's because they have some air bubbles or impurities trapped inside. And when you spot a crystal clear ice cube, it means it froze very quickly and doesn't have any bubbles or impurities. Thank you, Zuri. Our next question is from Greg, who is five years old and lives in Ontario, Canada. He would like to know when and where squids pee and poop. Squids are fascinating creatures that live in the ocean. They belong to a group of animals called cephalopods, which also includes octopuses and cuttlefish. Squids are known for their unique body shape, incredible swimming abilities, and their ability to change colors. Imagine a creature with a long, soft body, usually cylindrical in shape. That's a squid. One of the most amazing things about squids is their ability to change colors and patterns on their skin. Squids, like many other marine animals, have their own special ways of getting rid of waste. When it comes to peeing and pooping, squids have some interesting strategies. Squids have a special opening called a siphon located on their body. This siphon is like a tube that helps squids move quickly through the water by shooting out water forcefully. You can think of it as their very own jet propulsion system. Squids actually release both their pee and poop through this siphon. When they need to pee, they expel their liquid waste or p through their siphon. The liquid waste is usually a clear, watery substance. As for pooping, squids have a slightly different method. Instead of solid poop like we humans have, squids eliminate waste in the form of tiny particles. These particles can be left over bits of food or other waste materials. When the squid needs to get rid of these particles, it releases them into the water through the siphon. Since squids live in the ocean, they pee and poop right there in their watery home. The waste gets released into the surrounding waters, where it becomes part of the marine ecosystem. To keep their bodies clean, squids have a special organ called the ink sack, which they use to release ink as a defense mechanism. The ink helps them escape from predators or confuse them, and it also acts as a way to clean their bodies by flushing away any unwanted particles. Thank you for the question, Greg. Next, we have a question about a funny looking creature. Owen, who is eight from Maryland asks, are blobfish actually fish? Yes, Owen, the blobfish is indeed a fish, but it's a fish with a very unique appearance. It lives in the deep, dark depths of the ocean, where the pressure is incredibly high and it can be pretty cold too. These conditions are very different from what we are used to on land or in shallow waters. The blobfish looks the way it does because it has adapted or changed to survive in its deep sea environment. Its gelatinous or jelly like and blob like body helps its stay buoyant in the water. The pressure in the deep sea is much greater than what we experience on the surface, and the blobfish's blobby body helps it not get crushed under all that pressure. When the blobfish is brought to the surface, it looks quite different from when it is in its natural habitat The pressure is lower up here and that causes its body to change shape. It becomes less blobby and more squishy. The pictures you might have seen of the blobfish looking all funny and squishy are actually taken when they are out of their natural environment. But remember, just because the blobfish looks different doesn't mean it's any less of a fish. It has all the characteristics that make it a fish. It breeds using gills, swims using fins, and belongs to a group of animals called fish. The blobfish is a great reminder that there's incredible diversity in the animal kingdom, even in the ocean. Steps. Thank you for your question. Owen. Samantha, who is six from San Francisco, wants to know how do pearls grow Pearls are unique and beautiful treasures that are formed by certain types of mollusks. The process of pearl formation is really interesting. Pearls start their journey as an irritant or a foreign object that accidentally finds its way into the soft tissue of a mollusk, such as an oyster or a mussel. This irritant could be a tiny grain of sand, a parasite, or even a small piece of shell. Now, when this irritant enters the mollusk, it creates some discomfort. In response, the mollusk's defense mechanism kicks in. The mollusk secretes a special substance called nacre, also known as mother of pearl, to cover the irritant and protect its delicate tissues. Nacre is a remarkable material. It is composed of layers upon layers of a mineral called calcium carbonate, along with proteins and other organic compounds. The mullusk carefully deposits these layers over time, forming a beautiful and smooth substance around the irritant. This substance is what we know as a pearl. As the mullusk continues to secrete nacre and layer it on too the irritant, the pearl gradually grows in size. A pearl can take months or even years to reach a desirable size and develop its lustrous appearance. The shape and color of a pearl depends on the type of mullusk that produces it. Oysters, for example, produce round or near round pearls, while muscles create more elongated or asymmetrical shapes. Pearls can also come in various colors, including white, cream, pink, black, and even iridescent shades. Only a small percentage of mullusks can form pearls. That's what makes pearls so precious and valuable. Thank you for your question, Samantha. Did you know that while squids and pearls may not seem directly related, squids actually have an interesting connection to pearls. Squids have a special organ called a pen, which is a long, transparent internal shell. Structure and composition of this pen are quite similar to the composition of pearls, just like how pearls are formed by layering nacre. The pen of a squid is composed of a protein called kitan. This protein is arranged in layers, giving the pen its strength and flexibility, so you can think of the squid's pen as its own kind of pearl. Next up, we have a question from Charlotte who is nine and Nora who is seven, who live in London, Ontario, Canada. They asked many great questions, but since this is one of my favorite things things, I chose this question, how is chocolate made? Chocolate is super yummy, but it doesn't start that way. Chocolate begins its journey from a very special bean called the cocoa bean. These beans grow inside large, colorful pods on cocoa trees which grow in warm and tropical regions of the world. Once these cocoa pods are ripe and ready, farmers carefully harvest them. The beans inside the pods are then taken out and left to ferment. This really means they are placed in big containers and left for a little while to develop their unique flavors. After fermentation, the cocoa beans are spread out to dry in the sun. This helps remove any moisture and makes them ready for the next step. The dried beans are then roasted to bring out their delicious flavors. This is similar to my other favorite bean, the coffee bean. Once the cocoa beans are roasted, they are ground into a paste called coco mass. This paste is then pressed to separate the fat called cocoa butter from the solid part known as cocoa powder. These two ingredients are important for making different types of chocolate. Now, depending on the type of chocolate we want, we mix cocoa powder, cocoa butter, sugar, and sometimes a little bit of milk powder together. This mixture is blended and heated to create a smooth and creamy consistency. Finally, this mixture is poured into molds shaped into bars, and cooled down. As it cools, it hardens into the chocolate I love to eat. The chocolate can be made into different flavors by adding things like nuts, caramel, or even more cocoa powder. What is your favorite kind of chocolate? I like dark chocolate with nuts inside. Thank you for the question, Charlotte and Nora. Our next question is pretty important, especially after we eat some chocolate. Caden Grantham, who is four years old, wants to know why do we have to brush our teeth? Our teeth are super important because they help us do some incredible things. They help us chew our food, which gives our bodies the energy they need to run, play and explore the world around us. But just like any other part of our body, our teeth needs special care to stay healthy and strong. Our mouths are home to millions of tiny bacteria. Some of these bacteria are helpful, but others can be a bit naughty. They like to eat the food we eat and create something called plaque, which is like a sticky film that covers our teeth. Now, plaque is made up of these bacteria and something called acids. These acids are produced when bacteria breaks down the sugars and starches from the food we eat. And guess what, These acids can harm our teeth. If we don't take care of our teeth and remove the plaque, the acids can start to damage the hard outer layer of our teeth, called the enamel. This can lead to cavities, which are little holes in our teeth, and we don't want those. Cavities are really not fun at all. So to keep our teeth healthy and strong, we need to brush them regularly. When we brush our teeth, we use a special toothbrush and toothpaste that contains something called fluoride. Fluoride helps strengthen the enamel and protects it from the knotty bacteria and their acids. When we brush our teeth, we're not just cleaning the surface. We're also getting rid of the plaque and those pesky bacteria, which helps prevent cavities and keeps our breath fresh and clean. Don't forget to brush your teeth. Thank you for the question, Caden. In this episode, we learned about ice cubes and why they are sometimes white and sometimes clear. Clear ones freeze very fast, while the white ones might have air trapped inside. We learned a bit about where and how a squid uses the bathroom. The squid does their business and sends it out through their siphon into the ocean which surrounds them. We looked at blobfish and learned that they are really fish. They live in such deep water that they have changed to be able to survive in their habitat. When we normally see them in our habitat, they look a bit different than they would in their own habitat. We learned how pearls are made. They start from something getting into the shell and causing irritation, and over time it becomes a beautiful pearl. Next, we learned how chocolate is made and talked about the different kinds and after talking about how yummy chocolate is made, we finished this episode with a very important question about brushing our teeth. We need to take care of our teeth so that bacteria and acids don't harm our teeth and cause cavities. This episode was made with questions from Zuri, Greg Owen, Samantha, Charlotte and Nora and Kayden. I'd like to say thank you to Alice, Levi, Van Naomi and Caleb. We hope to use your ideas in future episodes. We would love it if you left us a review. Wherever you listen to podcasts, your review might help others decide to live listen to our show too. If you'd like to send us your questions, please send them to Hello at sleeptitscience dot com. Thank you and sleep Tite.
Speaker 1: You're listening to sleep Tight Science. Did you know that popcorn pops because of a special kind of corn kernel? What? Inside each kernel, a small amount of water is trapped in a circle of soft starch. When you heat the kernel, the water becomes steam and builds pressure. Eventually, the pressure becomes too much, causing the kernel to explode and turn into yummy, fluffy popcorn. Hello, friends, and welcome back to sleep Tight Science, a bedtime show that answers your questions about science. In this episode, instead of following a specific topic, we will spend all our time together answering questions that listeners have sent us. There have been so many questions that we decided to create some special episodes to answer them. Now, let's start with a question submitted to us by Zuri, who is six years old. Zuri wants to know why ice cubes are both white and clear. Water is made up of teeny tiny particles called molecules. These molecules like to stick together and form something we call ice when they get really cold. When water freezes and turns into ice, it can sometimes trap tiny bubbles of air or even some impurities from the water. These things can make the ice look white. Or cloudy. It's a little bit like when you mix bubbles in your bath water and it becomes foamy. But not all ice cubes are white or cloudy. Some ice cubes can be clear as glass. This happens when the water freezes really quickly and doesn't have enough time to trap those little air bubbles or impurities. When the freezing process is super speedy, the water molecules arrange themselves in a very organized and neat way. This orderly arrangement allows light to pass through the ice without getting scattered, which is why ice cubes let you see through them. So when you see white or cloudy ice cubes, it's because they have some air bubbles or impurities trapped inside. And when you spot a crystal clear ice cube, it means it froze very quickly and doesn't have any bubbles or impurities. Thank you, Zuri. Our next question is from Greg, who is five years old and lives in Ontario, Canada. He would like to know when and where squids pee and poop. Squids are fascinating creatures that live in the ocean. They belong to a group of animals called cephalopods, which also includes octopuses and cuttlefish. Squids are known for their unique body shape, incredible swimming abilities, and their ability to change colors. Imagine a creature with a long, soft body, usually cylindrical in shape. That's a squid. One of the most amazing things about squids is their ability to change colors and patterns on their skin. Squids, like many other marine animals, have their own special ways of getting rid of waste. When it comes to peeing and pooping, squids have some interesting strategies. Squids have a special opening called a siphon located on their body. This siphon is like a tube that helps squids move quickly through the water by shooting out water forcefully. You can think of it as their very own jet propulsion system. Squids actually release both their pee and poop through this siphon. When they need to pee, they expel their liquid waste or p through their siphon. The liquid waste is usually a clear, watery substance. As for pooping, squids have a slightly different method. Instead of solid poop like we humans have, squids eliminate waste in the form of tiny particles. These particles can be left over bits of food or other waste materials. When the squid needs to get rid of these particles, it releases them into the water through the siphon. Since squids live in the ocean, they pee and poop right there in their watery home. The waste gets released into the surrounding waters, where it becomes part of the marine ecosystem. To keep their bodies clean, squids have a special organ called the ink sack, which they use to release ink as a defense mechanism. The ink helps them escape from predators or confuse them, and it also acts as a way to clean their bodies by flushing away any unwanted particles. Thank you for the question, Greg. Next, we have a question about a funny looking creature. Owen, who is eight from Maryland asks, are blobfish actually fish? Yes, Owen, the blobfish is indeed a fish, but it's a fish with a very unique appearance. It lives in the deep, dark depths of the ocean, where the pressure is incredibly high and it can be pretty cold too. These conditions are very different from what we are used to on land or in shallow waters. The blobfish looks the way it does because it has adapted or changed to survive in its deep sea environment. Its gelatinous or jelly like and blob like body helps its stay buoyant in the water. The pressure in the deep sea is much greater than what we experience on the surface, and the blobfish's blobby body helps it not get crushed under all that pressure. When the blobfish is brought to the surface, it looks quite different from when it is in its natural habitat The pressure is lower up here and that causes its body to change shape. It becomes less blobby and more squishy. The pictures you might have seen of the blobfish looking all funny and squishy are actually taken when they are out of their natural environment. But remember, just because the blobfish looks different doesn't mean it's any less of a fish. It has all the characteristics that make it a fish. It breeds using gills, swims using fins, and belongs to a group of animals called fish. The blobfish is a great reminder that there's incredible diversity in the animal kingdom, even in the ocean. Steps. Thank you for your question. Owen. Samantha, who is six from San Francisco, wants to know how do pearls grow Pearls are unique and beautiful treasures that are formed by certain types of mollusks. The process of pearl formation is really interesting. Pearls start their journey as an irritant or a foreign object that accidentally finds its way into the soft tissue of a mollusk, such as an oyster or a mussel. This irritant could be a tiny grain of sand, a parasite, or even a small piece of shell. Now, when this irritant enters the mollusk, it creates some discomfort. In response, the mollusk's defense mechanism kicks in. The mollusk secretes a special substance called nacre, also known as mother of pearl, to cover the irritant and protect its delicate tissues. Nacre is a remarkable material. It is composed of layers upon layers of a mineral called calcium carbonate, along with proteins and other organic compounds. The mullusk carefully deposits these layers over time, forming a beautiful and smooth substance around the irritant. This substance is what we know as a pearl. As the mullusk continues to secrete nacre and layer it on too the irritant, the pearl gradually grows in size. A pearl can take months or even years to reach a desirable size and develop its lustrous appearance. The shape and color of a pearl depends on the type of mullusk that produces it. Oysters, for example, produce round or near round pearls, while muscles create more elongated or asymmetrical shapes. Pearls can also come in various colors, including white, cream, pink, black, and even iridescent shades. Only a small percentage of mullusks can form pearls. That's what makes pearls so precious and valuable. Thank you for your question, Samantha. Did you know that while squids and pearls may not seem directly related, squids actually have an interesting connection to pearls. Squids have a special organ called a pen, which is a long, transparent internal shell. Structure and composition of this pen are quite similar to the composition of pearls, just like how pearls are formed by layering nacre. The pen of a squid is composed of a protein called kitan. This protein is arranged in layers, giving the pen its strength and flexibility, so you can think of the squid's pen as its own kind of pearl. Next up, we have a question from Charlotte who is nine and Nora who is seven, who live in London, Ontario, Canada. They asked many great questions, but since this is one of my favorite things things, I chose this question, how is chocolate made? Chocolate is super yummy, but it doesn't start that way. Chocolate begins its journey from a very special bean called the cocoa bean. These beans grow inside large, colorful pods on cocoa trees which grow in warm and tropical regions of the world. Once these cocoa pods are ripe and ready, farmers carefully harvest them. The beans inside the pods are then taken out and left to ferment. This really means they are placed in big containers and left for a little while to develop their unique flavors. After fermentation, the cocoa beans are spread out to dry in the sun. This helps remove any moisture and makes them ready for the next step. The dried beans are then roasted to bring out their delicious flavors. This is similar to my other favorite bean, the coffee bean. Once the cocoa beans are roasted, they are ground into a paste called coco mass. This paste is then pressed to separate the fat called cocoa butter from the solid part known as cocoa powder. These two ingredients are important for making different types of chocolate. Now, depending on the type of chocolate we want, we mix cocoa powder, cocoa butter, sugar, and sometimes a little bit of milk powder together. This mixture is blended and heated to create a smooth and creamy consistency. Finally, this mixture is poured into molds shaped into bars, and cooled down. As it cools, it hardens into the chocolate I love to eat. The chocolate can be made into different flavors by adding things like nuts, caramel, or even more cocoa powder. What is your favorite kind of chocolate? I like dark chocolate with nuts inside. Thank you for the question, Charlotte and Nora. Our next question is pretty important, especially after we eat some chocolate. Caden Grantham, who is four years old, wants to know why do we have to brush our teeth? Our teeth are super important because they help us do some incredible things. They help us chew our food, which gives our bodies the energy they need to run, play and explore the world around us. But just like any other part of our body, our teeth needs special care to stay healthy and strong. Our mouths are home to millions of tiny bacteria. Some of these bacteria are helpful, but others can be a bit naughty. They like to eat the food we eat and create something called plaque, which is like a sticky film that covers our teeth. Now, plaque is made up of these bacteria and something called acids. These acids are produced when bacteria breaks down the sugars and starches from the food we eat. And guess what, These acids can harm our teeth. If we don't take care of our teeth and remove the plaque, the acids can start to damage the hard outer layer of our teeth, called the enamel. This can lead to cavities, which are little holes in our teeth, and we don't want those. Cavities are really not fun at all. So to keep our teeth healthy and strong, we need to brush them regularly. When we brush our teeth, we use a special toothbrush and toothpaste that contains something called fluoride. Fluoride helps strengthen the enamel and protects it from the knotty bacteria and their acids. When we brush our teeth, we're not just cleaning the surface. We're also getting rid of the plaque and those pesky bacteria, which helps prevent cavities and keeps our breath fresh and clean. Don't forget to brush your teeth. Thank you for the question, Caden. In this episode, we learned about ice cubes and why they are sometimes white and sometimes clear. Clear ones freeze very fast, while the white ones might have air trapped inside. We learned a bit about where and how a squid uses the bathroom. The squid does their business and sends it out through their siphon into the ocean which surrounds them. We looked at blobfish and learned that they are really fish. They live in such deep water that they have changed to be able to survive in their habitat. When we normally see them in our habitat, they look a bit different than they would in their own habitat. We learned how pearls are made. They start from something getting into the shell and causing irritation, and over time it becomes a beautiful pearl. Next, we learned how chocolate is made and talked about the different kinds and after talking about how yummy chocolate is made, we finished this episode with a very important question about brushing our teeth. We need to take care of our teeth so that bacteria and acids don't harm our teeth and cause cavities. This episode was made with questions from Zuri, Greg Owen, Samantha, Charlotte and Nora and Kayden. I'd like to say thank you to Alice, Levi, Van Naomi and Caleb. We hope to use your ideas in future episodes. We would love it if you left us a review. Wherever you listen to podcasts, your review might help others decide to live listen to our show too. If you'd like to send us your questions, please send them to Hello at sleeptitscience dot com. Thank you and sleep Tite.